Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-10-15
WHEAT CULTURE.
Tho Instructive Experience Of II Southern
Ohio Agricultu rist,

IL u'tlNs ThDttiCuNt " "
Ohio Agricultural.
In Southern Ohio wherever the land
is in any thing like reasonable fertility
there is no trouble, rs a rule, about
raising n good wheat crop, provided the
plants can be carried over the winter
with sufficient vitality. Early sowing
is subject to total ruin by drought and
fly, one or both. Late sowing does not
give time enough for the young wheat
plants to get sufficient growth and Wig
or to stand our terrible winters of
freezing and thawing, with the fire.
quent almost total absence of snow.
Were we able to get III wheat fields
up to the first Of April with a good
stand of vigorous wheat plants, wheat
growing would be a matter of as much
certainty rs corn or oats culture. This
being the case, it is not SO much a mat
tor of phosphatcs to make the grain, as
one of finding how to get the best and
most vigorous fall growth, with roots
running deep into the soil and well
matted together in rs thorough and
complete II manne as possible. The
whole theory and practice of wheat cult
IRE, for that matter, in this region. is
in having the land in good fertility,
we'll drained, and then get the greatest
possible fall growth in the shortest pos
siblc time.
How is this to be done? What kind
of culture and what kind of fertilizers
will produce the best growth and the
hardest wheat plants in the shortest
time? Leaving out drought and 'the
fly" or 1.-The Hessian fly" the fall
treatment is plain enough.
But the Hessian fly is q queer chap.
Last year | put in about forty ores of
wheat; commencing September II,
and finishing October 6, about half
of the crop being drilled in standing
corn. The first piece sown, was wheat
stubble, put in with n two-horse drill;
ground in most excellent condition,
and half of the seed (six and onc-fourth
bushels to 10 acrcs) was sowcd one way
of the field, and the other six and onc-
fourth bushels was sowed across this.
No fly was seen in this piece. The
next piece, of about five acres. was oats
stubble, sowcd in good condition. The
hy did not trouble this. The third
piece of about twelve acres was drilled
in standing corn in the last week of
September, and literally eaten up by
the fly. About the first of November
| we cross-drilled about half of this piece,
and this portion of the field made n
fair crop. The portion not sowed ovcr
was almost a total failure. The first
week in October we sowed the re-
mainder, and this the fly did not
trouble.
Our wheat all made q nice fall
growth, except the piece eaten up by
the fly, especially the first sown, but
the winter injured it so badly that
| about six acres were seeded to oats, and
the remainderon yielded two hundred
and fifty bushels; less than seven BUSH
els to the acre. The trouble all came
from winter killing, except what dam.
age was done by the fly. We had m
unprecedented amount Of rain during
the latter part of winter, so that wheat
as well as grass and clover was literally
drowned, in places where crops had
eve suffered from wet before.
To recapitulate: Wheat culture. In
this section, all, or nearly all, depends
upon getting the wheat plants winicrcd.
much like wintering a lot OF late fall
pigs. II spring finds them healthy and
vigorous, all right; II poor and NANCY.
all wrong. Hspring finds wheat healthy
and vigorous, with a good stand. we
are reasonably sure Of agood crop; eou.
sequently the whole matter. almost, i.
In getting the best growth In tho abor,.
est possible time, aud this with go,,d
drainage Is the end Of the law IN wbsa,
nulture.-Cor. Ohio Farmer.